AIACA

AIACA works with nonprofit and producer-owned artisan organizations in India. Some 65 member groups benefit from marketing support, design training and capacity building assistance. Artisans, who are paid on a per piece basis, participate in deciding pricing for products. In all cases, profits are either distributed among the artisans or reinvested in the community through other development programs. Artisans working with AIACA are primarily women. Most of the artisan groups that are part of AIACA are made up of home-based artisans. In some cases, artisans gather in village community centers to work together. These centers are built with contributions from nongovernmental organizations, and are maintained by the community. Ten Thousand Villages began purchasing from AIACA in 2009.